Picking Up The Pieces
by CrossedQuills
Summary: After Queen Auela's death Regis just doesn't know what to do with himself. Especially with his infant son. Clarus' wife, Dahlia, sends him to cheer up his old friend. Rated M for the last bit of the story. Very bittersweet. Regis/Clarus and implied polyamory.


*Done for FFXVRarePairsWeek on Tumblr under the prompt 'comforting'. In this story Regis is 30, Clarus 35, Gladio is 3 years old, and Noctis is 3 months old. Also, I don't know what Gladio's mother's name is so I just called her Dahlia.

**Technically takes place after my fic 'Out of the Fray', but can totally be read by itself.

It was cold in the crypts. It always was.

Regis held his infant son tightly in one arm as he bent down to place fresh white roses in front of the tomb that held Auela. Noctis fussed slightly at the shift in position, but soon cuddled up again in the crook of his father's arm and dozed back off.

It had been just over two weeks since Queen Auela had left them. She had become very week during her final months of pregnancy, the crystal's magic working through her toward the growing future king inside her. She knew the risks when she married Regis. Knew that bearing a child bound to the crystal posed a severe strain on the mother's body. Knew that in the past five hundred years, no Queen had born more than one heir to full term. Auela knew all of these things, but decided she wanted to be a mother anyway.

Granted, they had waited several years after getting married to actively try and get pregnant. Enjoying the time they had together while it lasted. However, with the growing threat of Niflheim they could only enjoy peace for so long.

Auela had cried joyously when she discovered she was pregnant, and honestly, so did Regis. But the Kings tears were bittersweet. He knew having a son would come at a cost. And it did.

The Queen was so weak she wasn't able to give birth naturally and after that, well, she just slipped away.

Regis took a deep shuddering breath that echoed off the marble walls. "I'm so sorry… Auela I…" Noctis stirred again and fussed. Regis offered him a finger that he grabbed eagerly as he bounced him lightly in his arm. "I don't know how to be a father. I know how to raise Noctis to be a king, but… my own father was always so busy. Weskham raised me more than he did. Father was so strict and stern and never seemed to know how to have fun and just be… well… a dad." Noctis opened his blue eyes, Auela's eyes, and looked up at him. "I've been thinking that maybe Noctis should have more of a normal life than I had. He'll still have training and tutors, but I was thinking that maybe we could send him to the same school you went to growing up. The one in the financial district. Hopefully he'll be able to make some friends that don't care he's royalty. Maybe…" Regis' eyes welled up and his chin grew tight. "Maybe he can find someone like you."

Noticing his father's distress, Noctis face bunched up and he started to fuss in earnest. Regis bounced and swayed him more, but this was a situation that only a bottle and maybe a nap would fix. Briefly, Regis put his hand against the cold white marble with Auela's name carved into it before heading back up the stairs to the Citadel's Shrine to the Astrals.

Noct's fussing wails filled the room as Regis opened the door. Thankfully the space was empty during this time of day. Regis wiped his eyes with his sleeve and closed the door behind him.

"Regis?" said a voice from the candle covered dais. He turned to see the familiar face of Dahlia Amicitia with her son hiding behind her legs. It looked like she had just come from the gym, clad in her Citadel issued gym gear. Her son, Gladio, had a toy sword tucked into the loop of his pants. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I just wanted to light a candle for Auela."

Noctis cried louder. "No, it's alright Dahlia. Someone's hungry anyway," he said, hoping his eyes didn't look too bloodshot. He hadn't slept well in quite a while. Noct had a nanny that had been watching him most of the time, but Regis had really felt the need to have the young prince visit his mother. Even posthumously.

Dahlia closed the distance between them in the large hall, Gladio on her heels. "May I?" she held her arms out to the little prince and Regis only hesitated for an instant before handing Noctis over. Dahlia laid Noct out, face down over her forearm and pat his back in tandem with her bounces. A few seconds later he burped and his cries faded to coos again.

"You're very good at that," said Regis in awe. "I'm still learning."

"I've had a lot of practice," she gestured behind her, "someone was a very fussy baby."

When Regis looked down at her son he only hid behind her further. "Shy little guy."

Dahlia chuckled, "He'll get used to you soon enough. He'd better." She shifted the baby in her arms until he was resting against her shoulder. Noctis already seemed to be dozing off. "Regis," her tone shifted to concern, "have you been sleeping? Eating?"

The King sighed. She always was an observant woman. "Not as much as I should."

"Do you have any meetings or anything planned for the rest of the day?"

He checked his watch. "I'm supposed to stop by the barracks and do a meet and greet with the next class of Crownsguard, but after that, no."

"Good. Keep your evening clear and tell Noct's nanny that she has the night off. I'll take this little guy for the evening. You are _going_ to take a nap and then you're _going_ to have a few drinks with my husband and let out whatever you've been holding in for the past two weeks. It's eating away at you."

Regis couldn't help but smile. Clarus really did marry a firecracker. "You do realize you just essentially kidnapped the prince and gave orders to your own king. Right?"

She leaned down and ran her fingers through Gladio's dark hair. He was already big for his age. "Oh, I think I could pull some strings and avoid an execution." She shooed him away. "Go on."

Clarus got back to the Amicitia manor shortly before sunset. He hung up his council cloak on the coatrack near the front door and was greeted by the laughter of a baby coming from the living room. His brow furrowed as he walked down the hallway. Dahlia was playing with an infant on the couch, shaking an old plush of Gladio's in front him as it kicked its tiny legs happily. Gladio was leaning over the opposite armrest, glaring at the tiny human that had stolen away his mother's attention.

He smiled at the scene. "Regis wasn't joking. You did kidnap the prince."

"Did he tell you anything else?" she said, not looking up from Noctis.

"That you ordered him to get drunk with me. You know I have to make preparations for the Crownsguard graduation tomorrow." He sat down on one of the vacant cushions of the couch.

"Nobody said you had to get hammered, just Regis. Talk to him about the old days, camping, blitzball, fishing, some cool new sword you saw, anything. Just get him talking and hopefully he'll let out some of those pent-up emotions he's been keeping corked up." Her tone shifted to a higher octave as she played with Noctis' toes. "I'm gonna get those little tatter tots. Gimme em."

Noctis squealed with laughter.

Clarus laughed. "I think he likes you." Gladio huffed to himself on his side of the couch. "Awww, someone's jealous." He ruffled his son's hair. "It'll be your job to protect him some day. You might as well get used to him being in the spotlight."

The scowl Gladio shot Noctis could have curdled dairy. "Why can't his own mom play with him?"

Clarus and Dahlia glanced at each other before Clarus leaned over to his son. "Gladiolus… Do you remember two weeks ago when we were in the Shrine of the Astrals and there was a lot of music and sad people?" Gladio nodded. "Well, Noctis' mommy, the Queen, died just before that. Noctis doesn't have a mom anymore. So, we're helping."

Gladio's expression shifted drastically from jealousy to sadness. He walked over and leaned onto the cushion Noctis was laying on as if he was trying to see something new. Like 'what does a kid without a mom look like'. Neither Clarus or Dahlia said anything.

"Mama," Gladio looked up at Dahlia. "You're not gonna die? Right?"

Dahlia leaned over and picked up her son, hugging him in her lap. "Course not, Baby. I'm not going anywhere."

It was dark by the time Regis heard a knock on the door of his den. He was still only in his socks, slacks, and undershirt, having taken Dahlia's advice and gotten a few tight hours of sleep after the Crownsguard visit. It didn't make up for months of duress, but it did take the edge off.

Opening the door, he found Clarus in his civilian clothes, a black button up, jeans, and nice shoes. That alone made Regis smile. "Where did you leave it?"

Clarus raised an eyebrow. "Leave what?"

"The rod you usually keep up your ass." He laughed. "You look almost like someone who _doesn't_ run a country worth of military assets."

The shield rolled his eyes and held out the twelve pack of hard cider, dumping it in his king's arms. "And I thought I was here to cheer you up. Yet here I still find you wrought full of bad jokes as always." He put down the bottle of cinnamon whisky on the center table between the leather chairs before grabbing two frosted glasses from the wet bars fridge.

Regis deposited the ciders on ice and grabbed two of them. "They're not _all_ bad. I am a Dad now, after all. I need to practice my Dad jokes." Clarus chuckled. "How's Noctis doing?"

"Being spoiled rotten. Last I checked Dahlia was running him a bubble bath in the sink." Clarus poured a shot in each glass before topping it off with the cider. A drink they'd partaken in every autumn for as long as they could remember. He handed Regis his drink and sat down across from him.

Regis took a sip and leaned back in his own chair. "You married a good one. I'll give you that."

Clarus chuckled. "Took me long enough."

"I still think you would have never talked to her if Auela didn't make you personally go inspect the flowers for our wedding."

The shield noticed the falter in his kings smile at the mention of their late queen. But it was good memory and that's what he was here to dig up after all. "True. That woman does love her flowers. I have a feeling she'd name all our offspring after plants if given the opportunity."

"Is that such a bad thing? There are worse things to be named." Regis downed half of his drink to the slight surprise of Clarus. Getting him drunk might be easier than he thought.

The shield nodded. "So long as she doesn't try and name a boy Daisy or something I'm fine with it."

"My great grandfather's name was Sage. So that's a good one." Regis looked ponderous. "I think there might have been an Aunt Rose in there somewhere too."

"Those aren't too bad. If we have another we were kicking around Iris or Rue for a girl and Hemlock or Rowan for a boy."

"Well, hopefully the next one will be a bit better planned. Right?" Regis shot a knowing look at his old friend.

Clarus let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, little bit of a shotgun wedding on my part wasn't it. Her father didn't seem to mind his daughter marrying an Amicitia, but my father was livid. I think he would have disowned me if Dahlia didn't have so much charisma."

Regis finished his drink and got up for another. "Well, he did have that real nice woman from Altissia picked out for you. The one that was about twelve years your senior, if I recall."

This time it was Clarus who finished his drink. "Don't remind me. I never did have a thing for cougars."

"Just coeurl's, right?" Regis smirked.

Rubbing the scar tissue still on his shoulder Clarus conceded. "Alright, fine. One point to you for Dad jokes. Now grab me another drink while you're in there."

Regis bowed slightly. "As you wish, Your Grace."

Several hours later Clarus dug the last two hard ciders out of the fridge. He decided to forego adding the whisky to this round and just handed the bottle to his friend as he stood on the expansive balcony overlooking the city. The two old friends looked out over Insomnia in silence before Regis looked up and gazed at the stars. "What do you believe, Clarus?"

"About what?"

Regis swallowed. "Afterlife."

This was one conversation Clarus wasn't exactly prepared for. "Well… I can't really say. I mean there _are_ spirits, especially of old kings and queens, that stick around." He idly glanced at the ring Regis wore. He'd never taken it off since the day of his coronation. It tied him to the great Lucis rulers of the past, to aid him along with protecting Insomnia. The 'old wall' they called it. Though Clarus had never witnessed exactly what that meant. "Although I'm not sure if that means they're around at all times or just when they are needed."

Regis leaned over the railing of the balcony, resting his forearms on it. He looked tired. "We both knew she was going to die. It was evident half way through her pregnancy. It took so much out of her, Clarus." The shield put a reassuring hand on his kings back and gave him a few pats. He could see a tear streak down Regis' cheek in the dim light from the city below. "I was ready for her to go. So was she, but… she didn't die right away. She suffered. For over two months. For a while I thought it was a good sign, that she might pull through, but…" He leaned back and smacked the railing. His ring clanged loudly against the metal. "That stupid fucking crystal. I hate it."

There was a long, drawn out silence between the two. Clarus wasn't sure what to say. The crystal was irrevocably tied to the royal bloodline, and it always took its pound of flesh in exchange for its power. Always.

"Do you remember that hunt, just before the war started," Clarus eventually said, breaking the silence, "where we had to take out the purple malboro near Lestallum?"

It took a moment, but eventually a small smile cracked Regis' façade. "The same hunt where you got turned into a toad and we didn't have any maiden's kiss on hand?"

Clarus smiled and nodded, grimacing slightly at the thought. "That's the one. I can still smell that things awful breath." He finished his drink and put the bottle aside. "I can remember Cid telling you that you might as well kiss me since you were the closest thing to a maiden for miles around."

The king chuckled, if still a little somberly. "Gods, Cid was such an ass. Still is." Regis turned toward his shield. "He couldn't have known I was actually a nineteen-year-old virgin, or that I had a crush on you."

"Oh, he knew." Clarus smirked. "Why do you think he suggested it?"

Regis eyes went wide, and if it wasn't so dark out Clarus would have sworn he blushed. "No he didn't. Who told him?"

"I think he figured it out by the fact that you ended up blushing every time we had a sparring session. He's a bit of a dick, but he's an observant dick."

Regis smiled the way he used to and it warmed Clarus' heart. "Well, it worked, much to all our shock. You weren't a toad anymore after the kiss."

They both laughed. "Not how I would have imagined our first kiss, but I'll take it. Least it has a good story to go with it."

His king gave him a look he hadn't seen in quite a while, and for a moment Clarus thought he was seeing things. "Well, thanks to you I wasn't much good for curing toad after the end of that week. Though I think my father would have been very cross if he knew you deflowered his precious son."

Clarus tilted his head to one side. "I think your father would have had me executed a few times over if he knew half the things we did together."

They were both drunk and they knew it. So, when Regis took a step closer to his shield it wasn't exactly unexpected. Was this what Dahlia meant when he said to spend some time with his old friend? She'd known about their past and the arrangement the two of them and Auela had. And later the arrangement the four of them had. Things had become more complicated though, after the king died and Regis inherited the crown. So many more eyes were on them. Time was constrained. Children were had. Things had changed.

Hadn't they?

"Do you remember our fight? When I ordered you to shut up and you didn't talk for the rest of the day? Ever the stubborn Amicitia."

"I do," Clarus said, running his fingers through his own hair. It was still long, though not as long as it was in the trailer that night. "I remember making up from that fight too." It wasn't a memory he would forget any time soon. The way Regis had begged him for everything he could give. The look of shock on Regis features when he gave him what he wanted. When he'd flipped him over and rode him to completion, whispering 'my Clarus' as he came.

The thought alone was igniting old flames within him.

"I miss those days," Regis said, interrupting Clarus' thoughts. "Not the war part, but traveling. Seeing the rest of Lucis. Seeing Altissia. Spending time with you and the others. I think it was as close to free as I'm ever going to get."

"What do you mean?"

Regis sighed and looked up to the stars again. "The sky won't look the same for much longer, Clarus. Niflheim's technology is increasing exponentially. They told me today that there's intel that the Niffs have airships now in addition to these new solders they've created. Vessels that can travel from Niflheim to Insomnia in days instead of weeks by land. They've already tested them on areas like Galahad." He swallowed. "I'm going to have to put a shield around the city soon. One that could withstand an attack. But I can only hold it while I'm within the walls. Near the crystal."

"Regis…"

"I'm not sure when I'll need to put the shield up, but… I don't think I'll ever leave Insomnia again after that. Not while the Niffs are a threat. No more adventures for me."

Clarus didn't know what to say. What could he say? It was Regis' duty as king to protect his people. Just as much as it was Clarus' job to be his shield. Yet he could not shield his friend from his future. Neither of them had said it, but they both knew the crystal would take its toll out of Regis in order to produce a barrier around an entire city. How could it not?

Clarus wrapped an arm around Regis' shoulder and pulled him into a hug. It was all he could think of. He could feel the tension in his king's shoulders from all the weight they bared. If only he could take some of it from him. Any of it.

Regis pulled back slightly and looked up at him, the difference in their height apparent, as it always was. Green eyes still shone with lingering tears as Regis stood on his toes and kissed him. Clarus was only caught off guard for an instant before he leaned in and remembered how easily the two of them fell together. Even after all these years.

The kiss wasn't urgent like it was so many times a decade ago. This one was slow and intentional with a hint of bittersweet aftertaste over the lingering flavor of cinnamon and cider. Soon the heat of the moment stoked embers long thought buried under ash as Regis tightened his arms around his shield.

Clarus felt nimble fingers unbuttoning his blouse from the bottom up. He obliged his king as he pulled up on the dark undershirt Regis wore. They broke the kiss long enough for Regis to discard his shirt and Clarus to leave his button up behind on the balcony as they made their way inside. Not bothering to close the balcony door behind them.

Flopping down on the oversized bed that Auela and Regis once shared Clarus felt a pang of guilt. He pulled away, noticing fresh tears streaked across his king's face. "Reggie… is this what you want. Truly?"

The king swallowed hard and nodded, seemingly unable to form words. Who was he to deny him?

They resumed kissing at a smoldering rate, with no need to rush or be quiet like they once had during their travels. Clarus kicked his shoes off as he unbuttoned Regis' pants and slid them down, following the trail down with his mouth past collar bones, chest, abs, and further. Regis gasped as Clarus took him in his mouth, raking his fingers through his hair. After a moment Regis released his hand before returning with a small vial of lube. Clarus took it and resumed his efforts. His jaw ached, but he took his time as he slid a slicked finger into his king and curled his finger the way he remembered Regis liked it.

He savored the noises his liege made as he added a second finger and then another. It wasn't until he could feel the muscle fully relax around his fingers did he finally withdraw.

When he looked up at his lover he grinned. Flushed from crotch to hairline, Regis looked like he might explode at any moment. He could tell how much he wanted him, and the feeling was more than mutual, but Clarus wasn't here for an orgasm. He was here to help his friend, his lover, his king, forget the burdens of the world and remind him that there were some things to look forward to. Things he didn't have to stress over. Things that could just be given to him, not because he was king, but because someone loved him.

He crawled back up his lovers torso, kissing every inch along his path until he got to Regis' pulse. He lay open mouthed kisses that bordered on bites, nearly leaving marks but not quite. I wasn't something the shield withheld in the past. Clarus loved marking Regis when they were young and stupid. When they were on the road and only random citizens might notice them and mistake them for battle wounds. Back when they only had eyes for each other. When Regis was his.

They locked lips again and slowly ground into one another. Savoring the moment until Regis slid his hands between them and silently ushered Clarus toward his entrance. Sitting up, Clarus added a few more pumps of lube before realigning and pushing in slowly. He felt some resistance about half way in, but Regis just looked up and him and nodded. He pushed further, slowly, until he bottomed out. All the preparation time made it much easier than their scrambled sessions in their youth.

They lavished kisses on each other's lips, neck, chest, and shoulders as they rocked into the other. It was still slow, but soon the rising need between them started to outweigh the desire for lingering kisses and hushed breaths. "Clarus… faster."

The larger man sat up so he was standing at the edge of the bed and pulled Regis with him. He held onto his legs, being careful of the knee that had been bothering Regis as of late and lined up again before thrusting forward with a renewed sense of urgency. They were so worked up by this point that it wouldn't take much longer now. For either of them.

Soon the huge mahogany bed was creaking on its frames as the two of them careened toward release. Regis began stroking himself as he ran a hand up along his shields chest, lingering a moment on the sharp tattoos of his shoulders. "My Clarus…" he whispered "Don't stop."

He was already so close it would be difficult to hold back at this point. Clarus bit his own tongue to buy himself maybe another ten seconds. Thankfully it worked. Soon Regis was clenching down around him as he came, coating the space between them in a sticky mess.

Clarus got a tight grip of Regis' good leg and gave a few final desperate thrusts and he toppled over the edge too. At that moment there was no Niflheim, no looming war, no crystal, no responsibilities. Just the two of them and their time together.

After a quick clean up Clarus curled into the bed behind his king and held him close. Regis was using his bicep as a pillow and after a few moments of silence Clarus could feel fresh tears roll down his feathered tattoos. Regis didn't say a thing, he didn't have to.

Clarus wrapped him tighter to him and kissed the back of his head. He held him like that until he fell asleep and he didn't move from that spot until late the next morning.

X~X~X

Bittersweet, I know. I'm aware that there aren't too many stories between these two that aren't just outright smut. And I've hardly come across many young!RegClar's either at all. So, I tried to add another layer into the relationship. I hope I succeeded. All comments are appreciated. I love the input. Thank you everyone.


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